Jacob C. Cooper

Statistics

About

I am a PhD student at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History studying birds. My interests include biogeography, evolutionary biology and conservation with a tropical emphasis.

Singing Pseudoalcippe/Sylvia abyssinica in montane forest. The greenbul in the background is what I believe to be Arizelocichla tephrolaema, although their calls can be somewhat similar to some Eurillas. eBird checklist.

Harsh notes in the foreground are Urolais epichlorus mariae. A recording of that species from this same cut is available at XC302999. This bird was singing from the interior of a tree in alpine forest on Pico Biao, and was photographed. eBird checklist.

Extremely quiet because it was recorded with my iPhone. Singing from the top of a tree near the parking lot at the visitor center. Appeared to be keeping as high as possible, and moving about sporadically.

Calling approximately 8 meters from me in the understory of the canopy. Fairly open ridgetop primary rainforest near Big Boulder above Chimpanzee Camp. While not audible in this recording, it was countersinging to another individual further down the ridge.

Bird singing in response to a whistled imitation of its song. This bird, part of a pair of Cuculus clamosus, was later seen and confirmed to be of the subspecies gabonensis. It was flying around its territory after I whistled, staying to the highest parts of the emergent trees. Both the regular song and the upslurred notes are the Cuculus clamosus. eBird checklist.

Several Ceratogymna atrata flying above the canopy (between emergents?) calling frequently. Appeared to be an almost territorial dispute; birds were very vocal and chasing each other between the trees. Recorded in ridgetop primary forest near Big Boulder above Chimpanzee Camp.

Bird giving alarm calls as I was removing it from a mist net. Recording is restricted as these are the alarm calls of the bird. A photo of this individual can be seen on the associated eBird checklist here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22526547

The area in which the bird was netted was open understorey primary forest in the vicinity of a moderate sized river. We netted a total of four Geokichla camaronensis at this locality, suggesting that they are common in the open understorey forest here. Despite spending ten days at this location, we never heard or saw a single Geokichla away from the nets.

Thin, persistent "SWEESWEE-sweeswee". Bird was originally seen flying across the trail after singing briefly, and then hid within the foliage while continuing to sing. The end of the recording is overtaken by some loud Psittacus erithacus flying by. This is the typical song of the species in this area. The habitat was secondary Afro-montane forest along the main trail to Lago Biao upslope from Moka.